Please read the policy below and then confirm that you have read and accepted this policy and procedure:

Flexi-time and time recording policy and procedure confirmation

Policy statement and principles

This policy sets out the framework for managing and recording working time. The policy supports the Council’s ambitions to work in a more agile way – emphasising business outcomes and performance in line with core values, focusing on “what” people do more than “when” and “where” they do it. 

See ‘Agile Working Guidance’ and ‘Ways of Working Managers’ Guide’.

Flexi-time operates in accordance with this framework. Employees are responsible for ensuring their individual work patterns do not compromise any of the following agile working principles:

• Meeting business and customer needs.
• Maintaining or improving productivity.
• Ensuring a strong sense of organisational belonging.
• Maintaining team cohesion.
• Being contactable and accessible regardless of work location.

To ensure that the flexi-time scheme operates satisfactorily, and that the high standard of service delivery continues, several criteria must be satisfied: -

• Where employees are working as part of a team, they will need to agree in advance their method of operating flexi-time so that an efficient service continues to be provided.
• Communication with others, including colleagues, customers, and Councillors, must be effective.
• The determination of an employee’s normal pattern of working, variations to that pattern and taking time off are subject to the needs of the service and require the agreement of the Line Manager.

If working from home/another location, the working environment must be suitable, free of interruptions and with a suitable workspace and technology to enable effective communication and with due regard to confidentiality. A Display Screen Equipment Assessment (DSE) must be completed through the AssessNet portal. 

Any abuse of this Policy, including falsification of records and claims for time not actually worked, or time claimed not agreed with the Line Manager, are disciplinary offences and may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal for gross misconduct.

Scope

In scope - this policy and procedure apply to all employees of Warwick District Council, with exceptions as outlined below.

Out of scope:

• Casual workers, agency workers, consultants, self-employed contractors.
• Shift workers.
• Where an employee’s contract requires them to work specific contractual hours for operational reasons and this cannot be varied without detriment to the service, for example annualised hours.
• Staff on JNC Conditions - Heads of Service and Chief Officers of the Council.

Roles and responsibilities

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) are responsible for ensuring adoption of and adherence to this policy and procedure.

Managers are responsible for:

• Applying this policy fairly and consistently.
• Ensuring that any agile principles are not compromised by the working time and rest patterns of any members of their team.
• Ensuring that employees are recording their attendance and breaks accurately and are not building up excessive hours.
• Ensuring all their team members take breaks and that periods of ‘no breaks’ are not permitted.

Employees are responsible for:

• Recording their flexi-time, attendance, breaks and absence times accurately and punctually.
• Agreeing their working patterns with their manager and ensuring they remain contactable and accessible when working.
• Keeping outlook calendars up to date so colleagues can see when they are contactable/available.
• Working in accordance with the needs of the role and service - using the flexibility of agile working to adjust start, finish and break times to meet the needs of the role and service and avoiding excessive build-up of hours.

Human Resources are responsible for providing guidance and advice to managers and employees on the operation of this policy and procedure.

Working Hours

Employees contractual hours are as set out in their contract of employment.

Employees can request to temporarily vary their hours in advance; these will be agreed with the Line Manager considering the needs of the service and will be reviewed regularly to ensure that service requirements continue to be met.

Employees requesting a permanent change of hours, should do so under the Voluntary Reduced Time (VRT) Scheme or under the Flexible Working Policy.

Some employees may be contractually required to work evenings and/or weekends as a regular feature of their job. Others may work TOIL (TOIL – time off in lieu) to cover peak or seasonal service demands.

Employees who work agreed overtime will either receive an overtime payment authorised by their manager or may accrue hours to be taken as compensatory leave as agreed with their Manager (TOIL - time off in lieu – hours to be added to flexi credit).

Employees whose role enables agile working may vary their start, finish and break times, as long as they meet the agile working principles. Employees must agree these with their Line Manager ensuring consideration for colleagues and operational needs.  

Recording hours

All hours must be recorded. The actual amount of time accrued should be recorded (rather than to the nearest half hour).

Standard day

A standard day for flexi time and absence purposes is 7hrs 24mins and a standard half day is 3 hours 42 minutes. This is pro rata for part time employees subject to the number of hours contracted to work on that day.

Flexi-time templates 

Flexi-time templates are available on the intranet and should be used to:

• record start/end times and breaks,
• calculate flexi credit and flexi debit.

Employees must make sure that their flexi-time sheets are up to date and available to view at any time by their Line Manager.

Employees choosing, with their Line Manager agreement, to undertake work on weekends or during the evening as part of an agile working pattern are not entitled to enhanced rates for working at these times.

Flexi-time accounting period

The accounting period is four weeks, based on the number of hours staff are contracted to work.  For full-time staff this will be 37 hours x 4 weeks.

Flexi leave

Employees may, in agreement with their Line Manager and subject to the needs of the service, offset credits by taking up to 13 days of accrued time in each annual leave year, subject to a maximum of 1 day or 2 half days per accounting period. This provision is pro rata for incomplete years and for part time and job share employees.
 
All requests for flexi leave should be submitted via I-Trent, for approval by the Line Manager.

Where annual leave has been booked in advance, employees may request to convert this into flexi leave nearer the date.

All requests to take flexi leave are subject to Manager approval and the needs of the service.

Before booking flexi leave, the employee must ensure and demonstrate if requested, that they have accrued sufficient flexi credit to take the leave.

Carry over

Hours must be totalled at the end of each week. At the end of the four-week accounting period, not more 12 hours credit can be carried forward.  There must not be a deficit of more than 4 hours. 

‘Carry Over’ provisions apply on a pro rata basis to employees working part time. 

Time off in lieu

Time off in lieu is time which is accrued over and above an employees contractual hours and which cannot be taken under the flexi scheme or paid as overtime. The Council does not expect its employees to work excessive hours or to accrue excessive time off in lieu.  If excessive hours are being worked and accrued, for example over 5 days, this should be raised with the Line Manager to manage the number of hours being worked.

Weekends

The flexible working week can be extended to include Saturdays and Sundays for those employees whose contractual hours include a requirement to work all or part of their normal service hours at weekends.  

Attendance on courses

The standard day (7 hours 24 minutes) or half day (3 hours 42 minutes) arrangements apply in relation to crediting time for attendance on training courses, conferences, seminars.  

When the course and travel time exceed the standard day or half day, additional time spent travelling may be credited.  If travel occurs on the previous day for an overnight course, agreement should be reached with the Line Manager as to what is a reasonable approach. Where the course involves attendance for an afternoon extending through into the evening a standard half day should be claimed, in addition to those hours worked in the morning.

Travel time

Travel between home and an employee’s workplace is regarded as private travel and cannot be claimed as flexi-time. 

Breaks – working time directive

Employees working more than 6 hours in any one day must take a minimum break of at least 30 minutes during or immediately after the first 6 hours of the working day (4.5 hours for employees under age 18).

Other than in agreed circumstances where it is not possible to do so, there must be a break of 11 hours between finishing work on one day and starting again the following day.

All employees should have one full day rest a week. It is not appropriate to work for seven days without a break, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Policy governance

The following table identifies who within Warwick District Council is Accountable, Responsible, Informed or Consulted with regards to this policy.  The following definitions apply:

• Accountable – the person who has ultimate accountability and authority for the policy.
• Responsible – the person(s) responsible for developing and implementing the policy.
• Consulted – the person(s) or groups to be consulted prior to final policy implementation or amendment.
• Informed – the person(s) or groups to be informed after policy implementation or amendment.

Accountable: Tracy Dolphin, Head of People & Communications
Responsible: HR
Consulted: Unison, JCF, MTU, Employment Committee
Informed: All Council managers and employees

Review and revision

This policy will be reviewed as it is deemed appropriate/when legislation dictates, but no less frequently than every 3 years.

Policy review will be undertaken by Human Resources

Back to the new council employees page.